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Based on your criteria, I would lean toward the Honda. While the GT has the Civic trumped for flexibility, the Civic has the edge in reliability and economy.
While I believe that Hyundai has made great strides in terms of reliability, I do not believe that they have reached the level of Honda and Toyota, yet.
For fuel economy, the Honda has the advantage. The Civic Automatic gets 30/38 city/hwy EPA MPG, while the Elantra gets 24/33. Of course, EPA MPG should be taken with a grain of salt. In Consumer Reports, they got 28 MPG (Civic) vs. 25 MPG (Elantra) during a recent test in mixed driving.
Of course, there are many other considerations in the economy of a car. The Civic will cost more to begin with, but it will also be worth more after a few years. Depreciation for Hyundais is much worse than Hondas. I have seen two-year-old Civics on sale for more than a new Elantra.
The Kia Rio wagon might have a little more cargo space than the Elantra GT, but I believe that Kia's reliability is currently lower than Hyundai's (Although they have similar warranties, and I am sure the Kia's reliability will improve in the future).
Have you considered the Kia Spectra Hatchback?
Personally, I would never make a decision without driving the cars. Each person has different opinions about how a car should feel. I preferred the feel of my 1997 Hyundai Tiburon over all of its competitors. It felt the most like my other car (which wasn't running at the time). The fact that it cost less then all of its competitors was a bonus.
Of course, my choice of the Civic is assuming that your three criteria are weighted equally. If flexibility is weighted more heavily than reliability and economy, then the choice could swing back toward the Elantra.
Personally, the three cars that I have narrowed my choice down to are the Hyundai Elantra GT, Mazda Protege, and the Nissan Sentra SE. Of course, if Hyundai takes too long bringing out the GT, I may consider the Toyota Matrix or the Pontiac Vibe.
It is too bad that the GT will not be out until May. The GT may face stiff competition from the Mazda Protege5 on my list. If the GT comes out in April, I would probably buy it before the 5-door Protege is released (Assuming it is as good as I hope it is).
Tom
w/2.0L Engine & Auto Trans.: City 22; Hwy 28
I really do like the new Civics, but why o why, did Honda ever decide to cease producing the wagon version?!? I can't put my mountain bike in the sedan...
I actually followed a Spectra h/b for a few miles this morning on my way to the office. Nice looking car, but the Sephia pedigree frightens me. Of course, I plan to thoroughly test drive many vehicles before I buy so I'll probably spend a full day at the Kia dealer driving all the models.
You mentioned the Mazda Protege in your last post. I saw several of the "sport wagon" models when I was honeymooning in Bermuda last summer. They were right-hand drive but I think they are essentially the same version being imported to this country soon. I fell in love with the look of the cars and remember wishing (at the time) that I could get my hands on one here. Especially a blue one. Well now it looks like a possibility. I think I'll add that one to my list as well.
Thanks again for the advice!
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ncap/cars/2001Cmpt.html
I have seen the effectiveness of the Civic's crash protection. On February 11th, I watched an older SUV lose control and a Civic crashed straight into its side at about 60 MPH (although the relative speed of the impact was probably closer to 25 MPH). Everyone walked away from that crash.
Tom
leomort-
About my Subaru, don't worry about it. If you're considering a new one, I'm sure they're fine. I'm driving a hand-me-down '92 Loyale wagon... you know, the ones you see that are all rusty. It's got the weakest engine imaginable, has a 3-speed automatic transmission (that revs at 4000rpms at 65mph!), and stinks in many other ways. The 4WD is great, though.
Now... back to the Elantra hatchback:
The most convincing argument for me is that everything that I have read says the GT is going to be only about $1000 more than the base Elantra. Normally, leather seats all by themselves are more than a $1000 option, and the GT has upgraded wheels and tires, a CD player, rear disc brakes, and a sport-tuned suspension that are not included on the base sedan.
Tom
When you have an old car that has certain conveniences, you are not too keen on spending up to 20,000 on a new car that does not!!!
If I can get leather plus all the other goodies in the Elantra GT for just $1000 more than a GLS, I might be tempted to turn in my '01 GLS for a GT. That's a base price of only $13,500!! Probably no $500 rebates on the GTs though.
Who came up with the idea that white-faced gauges are "sporty?" All of the real sports cars that I have driven have all had black-faced gauges. Let's look at some gauges in some recent car magazines. Ferrari? Black. Porsche? Black. Aston Martin? Black. BMW M3? Black. Acura NSX? Black. If the car makers want to give the impression that their car is a high-performance car, they should make the tachometer the largest gauge and place it in the center, like in a Ferrari or Porsche.
I guess that it is just another example of the American public's emphasis on image over substance, like all these SUV owners who should be in minivans, or sedan drivers who turn their noses up at the infinitely more useful hatchbacks.
End of rant.
Tom
P.S. Don't get me started on automatic vs. manual transmissions or you'll be sorry.
I am also annoyed at the lack of information on Hyundai Motor America's web site. With the release of the Elantra GT only a month or two away, they should at least have some information about the new model. There is not even an e-mail address to ask for more information or report errors about the web site (not that I have found any yet, but I have yet to find a web site without any typos). The Mazda web site has information about the Protege5.
The thought that the GT will take even one sale away from the Santa Fe is ridiculous. The Elantra GT is one of the top 3 cars I am considering, while I have not considered the Santa Fe for a second. Either you want a SUV or you don't.
The longer it takes for the Elantra GT to come out, the longer I have to change my mind about buying a new car. I love my current car, and the primary reason that I am considering a new car is for monetary reasons (My current car costs a lot to maintain). I just got a quote from my insurance company on replacing my current car with an Elantra GLS, and the insurance cost was almost double. If the numbers don't work out, I have to decide if the price difference is worth the excitement of owning a new car.
Tom
When I spoke with one of the Hyundai staffers about the fabled 5-door version, he stated that it should be available in "about 60 days". He was an older gentleman who seemed very confident about his information. He also confirmed that it would have full leather seats (eek!) and that it would be priced at around 16K (aarghh). As I had been very much hoping for a compact and practical, fun-to-drive ECONOMY car, I was very disappointed to hear that the Elantra GT will be tarted up so much that it will be well beyond my financial "snack bracket". The performance upgrades (suspension, tires, etc.) are a great idea, but why not save the leather and frippery for the more upscale models??
Oh well, my search continues...
Hype = increased demand = increased cost!
Cheers.
The point about less coverage equating to less demand is a good one, but there are many points between over-hyping a product and having no information at all. A simple page with a list of standard equipment and available options is all I want. I don't want them advertising the GT as the best thing on 4 wheels, although that is what most car commercials promise.
I found out about the Elantra GT by accident. When I started my search for a car, I had an image in my mind of the perfect car that I was looking for. My image of the perfect car (before I found out about the GT) was a Hyundai Elantra wagon with the Tiburon suspension. Therefore, when I found out about the Elantra GT, I was very excited since it was almost as if the Hyundai engineers had read my mind (before I even knew what I wanted).
Tom
Leo
It makes no sense in my mind that they'd offer leather standard instead of ABS, especially if it'll bring up the price significantly. Though leather sounds cool in theory, I'm not sure I would want it! There's really no way to know exactly when this car will be here, how it'll be equipped, or how much it'll cost until it actually arrives.
JK
Malaz002, I must have missed the "stealth" black Elantra on the show floor. At that point, my kids were getting antsy to go check out the conversion vans (I'll never buy one, but they love climbing all over them). The sales people (two youngish women) were defintely not the same ones you talked to--and they had much different facts about the GT. I liked their story much better: "$500 more than the GLS" vs. $16,000. I'll bet the $16k was what the sales guy's asking price will be for the GT, vs. what the list price will be.
Has anyone else noticed that not one major automotive publication in the U.S. has done a full review of the 2001 Elantra? The Motor Trend COTY article doesn't count, as they devote 12 words to each car. When will Car and Driver, Motor Trend, or Road & Track do a full review on this new-for-2001 car? When will Edmunds review it??? The only full review they've done on ANY Hyundai in the past couple of years is the Accent last year. Meanwhile, they've done five Kia reviews and three Suzuki reviews in the past two years. C'mon, guys!
The next month, they did a test of small SUVs and they were also impressed with the Santa Fe. It finished in between the Ford Escape and the Mazda Tribute (two SUVs which are basically twins).
I believe that most car magazines do reports on the cars that they are given by the auto manufacturers. If Hyundai stepped up to the plate and promoted the Elantra to the car mags, they would test it. I think that Hyundai may be waiting to present the Elantra GT to the car magazines since the car mags cater to car enthusiasts.
Tom
Tom
velly
The Mazda is scheduled for release in May, but I believe that the Focus ZX5 will not be out until August. A year from now, 5-door hatchback buyers will have many more choices: Chrysler PT Cruiser, Ford Focus ZX5, Hyundai Elantra GT, Kia Spectra, Pontiac Vibe, Saab 9-3, Subaru Imprezza Sport Wagon (including the WRX), Toyota Matrix, and Volkswagen Golf. There also will be some new blood in the 3-door hatch market with the Mini Cooper and the Mercedes-Benz C230 Sport Coupe.
I hope that leather seats will be optional, but I do like the alloy wheels. Unfortunately, ABS will be an option that will be nearly impossible to get, according to my dealer. Consumer Reports also could not get an Elantra with ABS. Is this because I live somewhere which does not snow or rain very often? Is it easier to get ABS up north?
I just got the new Car and Driver, and they have a review of the Hyundai Elantra.
Tom
I'm also very discouraged at the lack of info available for the GT H/B. It seems like most of the interest in this vehicle is centered right here in good old Edmund's Town Hall. Another reason why this site is so neat. I've seen a few of the sedans in my town so I know at least that model is available. Maybe we should re-title this topic the "Elantra 5-Door Stealth Model".
Well, I gotta get back to work now. Keep the info coming. By the way, I live in northern NJ and I will be attending the NY Auto Show next month so I'll keep my eyes peeled for any and all GT hatchbacks. Plus, I want to be sure and check out all of the new "crossover" (read: station wagon) models from Mazda, Ford, Pontiac/Toyota and VW. I think it's great that the industry is finally listening to the consumer who needs to carry stuff but doesn't need to pay the high price and high fuel bills of a ridiculous SUV. All we need now is for some astute, consumer-friendly internet automotive publication to develop an easy-to-use comparison guide for all the upcoming 5-door wagon production models. Hello...Edmunds? Topic host? Anyone?
Later, alligators.
Menu on the left hand side takes you to interior/spec/etc...the site is in korean lanquage with LOTS of informative pix...
The Hyundai Elantra 3-door hatch is called the Tiburon.
Tom
We know that the 5-door exists, but the world doesn't know. The mention in the Car and Driver and Consumer Reports are the only places that I have seen the Elantra GT in print. I did not find out about the Elantra GT until I happened to be reading the Edmunds report on the Elantra GLS.
There is actually very little information about the Elantra GT. This message board is probably the best place for information on the 5-door (in English), and most of it is rumors. My Elantra GT Page is the second best place that I know of. I search the web for more information about the Elantra GT once a week to add to my page. I haven't found any new information in a month.
If you can read Korean, you can visit the Korean Hyundai Motor Company site, which has information about the 5-door.
Tom
http://www.prnewswire.com/gh/cnoc/comp/424987.html
I have seen a few Elantra sedans recently and they appear far more sophisticated and substantial than the models from 1999 and older. In fact, the sean looks like a hybridization of a Mazda Protege and a Toyota Corolla. If you removed the badges no one could tell it was a Korean car. Very pleasing.
There is nothing wrong with the GT's breaks. Four wheel discs are ideal for this class, there should be no fade and if the brakes are as well calibrated as the Elantra sedan they should be fine....AVAILABLE ABS would be nice though....
I consider leather seats more of a problem than the difficult to find ABS. In the summer, you cannot sit on leather seats and wear short pants or skirts. It is not a huge problem for me because I am willing to use a car cover all of the time, but I would prefer to not have leather seats in the first place. I currently have vinyl seats in my car, but when I get them reupholstered, I will see if I can get them to cover the seats in cloth.
Tom
I am not saying that ABS is not a valuable thing to have. If I can get ABS in the car I buy, I will, but, unfortunately, it seems to be nearly impossible to get ABS in a Hyundai where I live. Consumer Reports also was unable to find an Elantra with ABS. All I was saying is that if I am unable to get ABS in the Elantra GT, that will not stop me from purchasing the car.
Who was the moron at Hyundai who decided to make "leather seating surfaces" standard in the Elantra GT but ABS is still an option? Are Hyundai's suppliers not able to produce enough ABS systems? If ABS came standard in the Elantras, Hyundai probably couldn't produce enough cars to meet demand.
Tom
I am a safety-conscious person and I feel that any safety feature is much more worthwile than any frills such as leather or sunroof.
http://www.mundar.com/images/hy00elan_5_6_g.jpg
This pic shows the interior of an elantra and it has auto climate control in place of manual air conditioning.
I wanted to know if the US version of the elantra gt will have auto climate control?
If you reread my message, you will see that I agree with you. The message I was trying to get through is that Hyundai should make ABS standard and leather seats optional.
I do not want leather seats because I live where it gets very hot, and I do not want a sun roof because I am tall and I usually need that extra inch or two of headroom.
According to my local Hyundai dealer, it is nearly impossible to get ABS on an Elantra. Consumer Reports also was unable to get ABS on their Elantra. Maybe Hyundai USA does not think that we need ABS here since it (almost) never snows and rarely rains. Maybe they send all of those cars that have ABS up north.
I didn't get ABS when I bought my Tiburon 4 years ago because you HAD to get the sun roof and a leather interior to get ABS. I didn't want to spend $4000 extra for options I did not want in order to get ABS (and according to the salesperson I talked to recently, he has only seen one Tib with ABS at the dealer).
It annoys me that the Elantra GT will come with leather seats that I do not want, and will probably only offer ABS with a sunroof. At least the base Elantra with option package 5 has almost everything I want and nothing I don't. To bad I couldn't get it even if I wanted to.
Tom